No. 10 Indiana Wins Wire-to-Wire Over No. 3 North Carolina, 76-67

Wednesday, November 30

Bloomington, Ind.

9:15 PM

Indiana University

5-1

North Carolina

7-1

North Carolina

Indiana

No. 10 Indiana Wins Wire-to-Wire Over No. 3 North Carolina, 76-67

11/30/2016 11:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With a commemoration of the 1981 NCAA Championship team, an appearance from World Series champion Kyle Schwarber, and a Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup against No. 3 North Carolina, the atmosphere in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall had all the makings of a wild Wednesday night.

But the No. 10 Hoosiers (5-1) decided to add another ingredient to the mix: a wire-to-wire win over the third-ranked Tar Heels (7-1).

The crowd at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall reached its boiling point before the start of the national anthem, but the Hoosiers pushed the decibel meter on their first three possessions. OG Anunoby banked a layup in the low post before Robert Johnson splashed a 3-pointer on the next possession. James Blackmon Jr., after assisting on Johnson's three, called his own number from the arc and buried the shot, giving IU an 8-2 lead.

The Hoosiers stepped on the gas and did what they've done so well under head coach Tom Crean, by playing their best against the best. Under Crean, Indiana is unbeaten at home against teams in the top three.

For the second consecutive game, Anunoby led IU's attack with 16 points, going 6-for-8 from the field. James Blackmon nearly earned a double-double in his return to the lineup, scoring 14 points with 9 rebounds and a trio of 3-pointers. Indiana's offense showed diversity, however, as all five starters entered double-digit figures.

Anunoby gifted Hoosier fans with a shocking highlight play near the end of the first half. Josh Newkirk picked off a passing lane to reverse possession at mid-court and took his dribble to the 3-point arc. He put a pass into Anunoby's hand as he left the ground, and Anunoby stamped the alley-oop with all his might. It wasn't the only time the sophomore made the highlight reel. Anunoby also came from behind to slap a block into the backboard in the second half.

The offense pushed IU to a 12-point lead by halftime, and the Hoosiers closed the door with an uncompromising performance on the defensive end. North Carolina guard Joel Berry averaged 18 points per game at the Maui Invitational this year, but the Hoosiers held him to 8 points on a 3-for-13 performance from the field. Furthermore, the Hoosiers pumped the brakes on North Carolina's transition offense to just 2 points.

Johnson championed the defensive effort. He matched up against all types of play styles, from Berry to 6-8 forward Josh Jackson, and came away with 3 steals and 6 defensive boards. Curtis Jones came off the bench in a big way as well, with moments like his glass-cleaning put-back against UNC's frontcourt and his pressure in transition to force a turnover out of play.

Although they never conceded the lead, Indiana knew they'd be in for a fight in the final minutes against Roy Williams' Tar Heels. North Carolina closed the gap with a 9-1 run after the uner-8 minutes timeout. Blackmon shifted the pressure to UNC after running across the arc to fire a contested 3-pointer into the twine, followed by De'Ron Davis' layup on the next possession.

Indiana's win, their second over a top-3 team this season, was overflowing with emotion. Nobody put that on display better than Thomas Bryant. The big man finished the night with 12 points and 7 rebounds, going 4-for-7 from the field, and brought the fiery passion Indiana fans are used to seeing. In the first half, he brought the crowd to a roar with a put-back dunk. In the second half, Bryant drove from the wing to sink a baby hook before splashing a 3-pointer from the same spot.

The Hoosiers will continue a high-volume stretch in the confines of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, this time against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (4-3). The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff, and will air on ESPN3.